Washington, Dreamers Co. collaborate at 7th Ward playground
Katie Anderson/Observer-Reporter
The Dreamers Co., a nonprofit in Washington, has plans to upgrade the existing equipment at 7th Ward playground.
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Katie Anderson/Observer-Reporter
The Dreamers Co. is planning to upgrade equipment at the 7th Ward playground.
Washington council members entered a two-year contract with the Dreamers Co., a nonprofit in the city, to further develop the 7th Ward playground.
The Dreamers have spent the last two years working to clean up the playground, painting equipment, putting up fencing, installing new lights and adding new mulch. The new contract with the city will “take some of the red tape out of the way,” according to one of the nonprofit’s founders, Aaron Miller.
He said that while his organization has partnered with the city to enhance playgrounds in the city, the formal contract “solidifies what we’ve been doing organically with the playground.
“It just positions us to move a little quicker in the development of that space,” he said.
The contract outlines specific projects that Dreamers volunteers want to improve in the park, including replacing playground equipment, resurfacing court space and art installations. All projects will still need to be approved by the mayor and council, as the land and playground equipment will still be owned by the city, according to the contract.
“It’s such a beautiful playground,” he said. “It has such potential.”
Miller said they’re hoping to get new equipment in next year, but they don’t plan to replace everything at once. First, he wants to get some community input.
“We think the people who live in the 7th Ward neighborhood should decide what it looks like,” he said. “We’re going to figure out a way to gauge people’s interest on what they’d like to see there.”
Miller’s hopeful they’ll raise about $60,000 for the playground, and they’ve already raised about $45,000. He said a formal agreement with the city will help the group attract more grants for the playground.
Most recently they secured a $15,000 grant from KABOOM!, a playground company that helps communities refurbish playgrounds, Miller said. In a separate motion Thursday, the city agreed to set aside $5,000 for this year and $5,000 for next as a local match for the KABOOM! grant.
The cooperation agreement states the city will assist in the playground enhancement efforts by “expediting necessary municipal approvals, including but not limited to design, permitting and inspection.” In return, the Dreamers will cover the playground in its casualty and general liability insurance, listing the city as “additional insured” on the liability insurance.
The document states that the Dreamers will “hold the city harmless” from claims – damages to the park, injuries to people or loss of life -that arise “out of or related to the use, operation or maintenance of the park, to the extent caused in whole or in part by TDC’s negligence or willful misconduct, or failure to comply with its obligation under this agreement.”
The agreement leaves room for an extension of the two-year term along with the potential for amendments to the agreement. Should the city and the Dreamers encounter a dispute regarding the playground that cannot be resolved within 60 days of “good faith” discussion, “this cooperation agreement will become null and void,” the document reads.
City Councilman Matthew Staniszewski, head of the city’s parks and playgrounds department, said working with the Dreamers on the 7th Ward playground has been “a positive experience.”
“Resources are stretched thin, and we need these types of collaborations to help us make positive changes in the community at large,” he said. “It provides ownership by the community to have a vested interest in the safety and the improvements in the communities that we all live in.”
The Dreamers Co. will host an online Christmas event Dec. 5, with all proceeds going toward the playground development. Tickets may be purchased on their Facebook page.
Miller said that anyone interested in being a part of the playground’s development, through volunteerism or through community engagement and decision-making, can contact him via email at aaronmiller@thedreamersco.org/.